The Circle of Life
by EndlesslyHopeful
Summary: At the age of 23, Avatar Korea fell, but alas, the cycle must continue, and somewhere in the warring Earth Kingdom, a newborn cried .. AU
1. Chapter 1

Air, water, earth, fire, only the Avatar can bend all four elements, making the Avatar the balance-keeper of the world.

Avatar Korea had faced many battles in her young life, many challenges, and over came them all, that is until the Red Lotus.

Years ago, after a long battle, Zaheer and his comrades had captured Korea. The mercury the Red Lotus had forced into her system had left her with unhealable damage. As knowledge that Korra was paralyzed from the waist down, the remaining members of the Red Lotus struck.

The world went on alert when Zaheer was freed from prison, but with the earth kingdom in chaos Korea's guards were mighty, but few. To few intact, when Zaheer and his remaining Red Lotus members found the young Avatar, they were able to power through the guards leaving Korra alone and nearly defenseless.

Nearly, all though she was stuck in that chair she over powered all but Zaheer in an impressive battle only an Avatar could pull off. But alas, she was unable to keep up with the older air bender and he struck to kill.

At the age of 23, Avatar Korea fell, but alas, the cycle must continue, and somewhere in the warring Earth Kingdom, a newborn cried

~n~n~n~n

So I just finished watching season 3 and this idea came to mind. I have no plans to watch season 4, and I do not ship korrasami, so there will be zero mention of it in this story. To read this story, you must throw season four out of your mims. Anyway, I will continue if there is any interest, even if it is just one person. You may also send OCS in but there is no guarantee I will use them.


	2. Chapter 2

"Anju! Anju!" A panicked voice called out.

'If I ignore him perhaps he will leave,' thought the woman being called. Anju continued to hide in the tree, uncaring, after all the world was in utter chaos around them, so she couldn't fathom why Kanan was always so stressed.

"Anju!" He yelled again. He paused under the tree she was sitting in and as he was about to yell again she jumped down from her perch and glared.

"Kanan I thought I said to leave me be," she snapped, her green eyes drilling a hole in his.

"But Anju," he said quickly, "The Red Lotus is coming to Ba Seng Sei, they think the Avatar is here. We have to hide. You know how they are."

Anju looked at the small man and chuckled.

"Good thing neither of us are the Avatar, let's go. We have nothing to hide ad running will do is little good."

Ba Seng Sei was becoming more ruined daily. The walls that had separated the districts, long gone, and all looking as if it were lower. After Zaheer had killed the Earth Queen(may she rest in peace) total anarchy had insued. Women and children, openly sold as slaves, men spending their days in brothels, people killing each other in the streets, it was truly a town where only the strong survived, a town where only the strong were free.

Anju knew that she would only be good for this life, it had been all she knew for her entire twenty six years, but she constantly worried about Kanan. At twenty nine, he too had been born and raised here, however he was soft, both in stature and behavior, and short. Anju knew she was short for an earthbender, only reching five feet tall, but Kanan was under five feet , part of the reason she was so protective of the man.

It was customary for the Red Lotus to wait at the Jade Dragon when they came, the local tea shop/slave area kept them occupied and those Zaheer sent often forgot to check for the Avatar, but as Anju and Kanan arrived, it wasn't a low ranked member, it was Zaheer himself.

Kanan pulled at her arm, "Anju" he whispered urgently, "its Zaheer." But he got no response.

Zaheer waited for the group to settle before he spoke up.

"Twenty-six years ago I killed Avatar Korra," he started, "and the world entered a time of true freedom. However I knew another Avatar would be born. An Earth Kingdom Avatar, but until the Avatar showed signs of existence we would be unable to elemenate the threat. Year after year, we travel the earth kingdom, going as far as to infiltrating Republic City, but we found no Avatar. But today we believe the Avatar is here, in Ba Sent Sei!"

'The Avatar in Ba Seng Sei?' Anju mused thoughtfully, 'that's ironic'.

"So today I have come to see for myself. I have to ask that all not twenty-six years of age leave the shop."

Kanan stiffened and Anju sighed.

"Go on," she urged her friend, "I will see you tonight eh?"

Others were already filing out but Kanan shook his head and stayed by Anju's side. Anju rolled her eyes and waited for the show to continue, Zaheer would find that neither of them were the Avatar and leave as empty handed as he came.

Soon it was just the two of them in the Jade Dragon and Zaheer motioned for them to sit across from him, but there was only one chair.

"I will stand Anju."

Anju nodded and took the chair as Zaheer smiled at her. Then he spoke up, " you young man may want to leave."

A flash of metal came from nowhere and shackles were binding Anju's hands and feet to the chair. Kanan shouted as a metal Bender came from the shadows and shot a metal cable around him.

"Zaheer,"Anju yelled as she struggled, "what is the meaning of this! The Avatar isn't here."

Zaheer gave her struggling form a once over and motioned to the metal bender, the man nodded and suddenly Anju found herself spread eagled against the wall, unable to move, the shackles still holding her. Zaheer walked over to her cupped her face.

"I'm afraid you are the Avatar," he said with a slow smile, "but who says I have to kill you yet. This does double as a brothel"

Anju desperately tried to bend the earth, but to no avail. Zaheers gentle touches seemed out of place as he started to rid her of her simple garment.

"Relax Avatar, enjoy, your last act alive."

Anju struggled harder after her shirt was ripped off and she was just in her bindings and trousers. As Zaheer started to remove her trousers, something snapped and he was blown across the Jade Dragon. Anju didn't have time to register the fact that see just air bended, but on the ground she was able to earth bend once more. Earth covered the shackles and they broke.

Zaheer whistled and more of the Red Lotu were swarmimg the brothel, she looked back at Kanan and tried to bend rock around the metal cable, but instead a fire ball melted it.

Kanan starred in shock, but she grabbed his arm, "no time!" And pulled him to run.

They had to escape the city.

Yay ooc Zaheer. It has been 26 years though,maybe men get gross as they age? Idk I'm no man. Anyway accepting OCS, just leave in a review.


	3. Chapter 3

Last chapter for a week.

...n...

It was night when Anju finally brought Kanan and herself above surface, and she was sure that the search was temporarily called off. Beside her Kanan whimpered. "What," she snapped, steam coming from her nose. "Anju," he stammered, "isn't theAvatar evil?" Anju turned sharply, long braided hair whipping behind her. "That's what they say, but I am not evil. Kanan I have to leave. Its not safe here anymore. A pause. "Not for me at least." Anju started towards the gates, desperately hoping noone was there when Kanan stopped her. "I'm going with you. " Anju didn't see any sense in arguing, and with her friend by her side, she left her home.

~n~n~n

 **Air Temple Island** It was frustrating, the air nomads couldn't keep up, they couldn't find the Avatar and soon the search would be for nothing, Jinora had no doubt that The Red Lotus would find the Avatar first, if they hadn't already destroyed the cycle. Pulling herself into the fimilar meditive position, the 40 year old air bending master began to let her troubles fade.

n~n~n~ **One week later**

He surveyed Republic City with a careful eye. The red Lotus could have inflatrerated once more and it was his job as Chief of Police to keep the city safe. The world was slowly drifting into chaos, but he would keep hismcity safe.

As he patrolled the Water district he heard a noise that sounded like earth being moved. Cautiously he went towards the sound. He found where the earth was being moved and waited, and as he did, he thought of his brother. It would be what, twenty years since he was killed? He would have been fourty-six this year. Anger rose in the police chief.

 _Zaheer._ Zaheer killed him. Why did Zaheer kill him, he already got rid of Korra , wh did he need to get rid of his brother too?

"Quiet Kanan, " a sharp whisper jerked him out of his thoughts. The Earth Benders were here. n~n~n~

It had been a long journey, but Anju and Kanan had finally found Republic City. After a mishap at what was left of the Oasis, they had decided to travel under the cover of night, and now Anju was tunneling under the city, with Kanan following behind, griping about being in such a dark closed in place.

 _Oh yea, she_ mused, _he is so not an earth bender._

Then the stale air became fresh and Anju figured they were almost above the ground. "Quiet Kanan," she whispered harshly. She kicked the final boulder away and they exited the tunnel, Kanan _laughing_ happily.

A wire wizzed by, almost wrapping around Kanan but Anju shoved him out of the way.

 _It couldn't be! The Red Lotus had found them!_

"Kanan!" She barked, " Run!"

He nodded and took off, a portion of the crowd following him. She was left with maybe twelve to face on her own.

 _No time like the present._

She shot rocks to slow them as she took off running herself. Left and right she ran, through crowds of people, through what she thought was a party of sorts. She even managed to trap about seven of the twelve in the ground.

Cables flew by her and fire blocked off her escape. Panicked she shot herself over the fire with a boulder and was trapped. Past the fire, there was a wall, no way out. Cables wrapped around her, forcing her to her knees.

 _No!_

She struggled but to no avail, the fire disapated and a man and two metal benders walked towards her.

"It will go better for you if you come quietly," the man, who looked to be in charge, said.

Anju glared, mustering up all the hate she could, making her emerald eyes seem cold. "I will never go quiet with you," she yelled, "I will never allow Zaheer to kill me!"

The man looked shocked, and stepped toward to say something, but Anju opened her mouth to cut him off. However it didn't go as she had planned. Flames shot from her mouth burning the two metal benders, however the man just pushed the fire aside.

"The Avatar." He gasped. Anju didn't stop to confirm, with her new found freedom, she ran.

n~n~n~

Wellp. Mako's here,Anju and Kanan are in Republic city. Dunno if I will have them stay there or not. Read and Review? I will update next week, sooner if I get some reviews.

Still accepting OCs btw


	4. Chapter 4

**so i got reviews. Didnt even notice. Thanks for the review guest orguests. :)**

n-n-n-n-

He watched the girl run, and sighed. The Avatar. The Red Lotus hadn't killed the Avatar. Mako's mind started whirling, what could he do? The Avatar was loose in the city, and she needed to be protected. And there was the matter of her friend, Mako didnt know who he was.

"Sir," one of his officers who had been beat down said, " what do we do now?"

Mako thought a moment. He knew what to do.

"Send word to Air Temple Island, Master Jinora can help us."

N-n-n-n-n'-

 _Where was Kanan?_

Anju ran, hiding when police officers were in her path. She was a master earthbender, hiding in the earth was a synch, apparently she was also the Avatar.

Her heart sank as she searched for the short man she had been raised around. Where was he hidden?

"Momma," she heard a child say," what did the police do with that man?"

Anju sunk inthe corner as a woman and her little boy passed. They looked to be watertribe, so Anju considered herself blessed that they were speaking in the common tongue. They continued at their brisk pace, so hidden in the shadows, Anju followed.

"He would have been taken to jail, " the woman said nonchalantly.

"Was he Red Lotus Momma?"

 _So they knew of the Red Lotus here._

 _"_ Police Chief Mako will keep our city safe. No need to worry your little head honey," she said to her son.

The boy nodded and the two continued off leaving Anju alone in the shadows.

 _Police Chief Mako?_ she mused, _Was he the firebender, he wasn't Red Lotus? What did he want with Kanan? Kanan wasn't guilty, only she was. Kanan wasn't the Avatar, she was. She was the one who took freedom from all. She was the one who kept people from reaching their full potential. Not Kanan. WHY DID THEY HAVE KANAN?_

There was a lantern, and the flame started to grow as Anju stood there in her musings, it grew and grew until a small fire started. Jumping back, Anju grabbed a boulder sized earth and tried to smother the fire. It didnt work, the earth just gave it more of a ground to grow, causing a building to catch on fire.

Spirits this wasn't good. Here she had only known of her Avatar status for a week, and it was already as the Red Lotus said, she was causing problems for all the world when all she had wanted was to live free, doing whatever she desired. Maybe she should have let Zaheer kill her.

You can stop the fire. 

Wait, who was that? Anju peered into the darkness, not seeing anything but the fire spreading to the next building. The architect of tbe buildings was really a fool.

There is a water trough, bend the water.

Anju then saw a shadowy figure coming towards her. It looked to be a water tribe woman long brown hair seperated in the typical wolf tails, no parka. Clearly it was a water tribe of Republic City.

"Do it yourself," Anju said, "I am an earthbender."

The woman smiled sadly.

If I could I would. I'm afraid it has to be you Avatar.

"I am not the Avatar!" Anju yelled at the woman.

There was a scream from one of the buildings, Anju and the woman looked up and saw a young woman looking out of the window, "Help!" She screamed.

Fire had clearly blocked her entire escape.

Anju panicked, she had caused this fire, she had watched it, she was evil, the Avatar was evil and she was the Avatar, and now this girl would die, unless... with a grunt Anju used the earth to propell herself into the air, stopping by the window the girl was at.

"Get on!" She called," I'll take you down!"

The dark skinned girl hesitated.

"Come on! ," Anju insisted as the fire continued burning.

Anju saw in the apartment now, the fire was slowly destroying the frame, wood was falling down, the floor looked like it was slowly disingrating, this girl needed to leave now! Why was she being so obstante?

Anju, making sure the rock wouldn't fall, jumped in the window and grabbed the girl. She threw her on the rock and returned it to the earth. However she hadn't thought it through and she was now in the apartment, the burning apartment, and there was no earth to bend.

Water in the pipes.

Anju turned and saw the same water tribe woman from down below, something wasn't right.

"Who are you?" She demanded.

The smoke was getting bad, for all of her earthbender strength, Anju couldn't keep standing.

"Korra." was the response that Anju got. Then, as the fire grew worse, Anju's world went white.

N-n-n-n-n

Kanan was sitting in a room. He wasn't sure how he had gotten there, he had run into those metal benders again, but there had been a fire bender there and without Anju Kanan didn't stand a chance. He had tried to run, but he had been quickly over run, and now he was in this room. He wasn't sure where, but he knew it wasn't jail. If anything it looked to be a room, a simple one mind you, a window, bed, and a door. Kanan pushed himself off of the bed and crept to the door. Opening it he then saw a hallway and decided to follow it.

N-n-n-n-n

Mako had gotten the call that there was a fire shortly after he had deposited the Avatar's friend to Air Temple Island, and being the closest to the fire, he was the authority needed. And that meant more paperwork.

He chuckled ruefully, had this been Beifong's least favorite part of the job as well? He would have to ask her next time he visited.

He made it to the scene of the fire before the fire department and stopped in his tracks. Water was being bent from inside, and there was a white light that reminded him of Korra.

Then a woman jumped from the window, controlling her fall using air bending, and Mako's heart caught in his chest.

"Korra," he whispered.

The woman in question smiled.

"Hey City Boy," she said sadly,"its good to see you."

Mako nodded, unsure of what to say.

"Mako," she said quickly, " I don't have much time. You need to train Anju in fire. Get her to Air Temple Island. Protect her fro. Zaheer. She can do what I did not."

Mako took a step to his dead, what was she? Lover? Ex-lover? He really wasn't sure, but was surprised when Korra embraced him.

"I never stopped loving you Mako."

"I love you too Korra."

Then Korra faded, leaving an uncomcious Anju in his arms. It seemed like he was making another trip to Air Temple Island.

N-n-n-n-n

 **so like always i update on the weekend unless i get reviews. Thought i need to do somestudying on Makos bending style for when he trains Anju lol.**

 **Also anyone wanna beta?**

 **Haha read and review and I hope you enjoy.**


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